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Unexpected baby joy for transplant patient

Twenty six year old Tracy Paterson, from Carlisle, was given a liver transplant as a teenager after being diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease.

7 Aug 2005

New study says HRT risks far lower

Women battling to deal with the miserable effects of the menopause, will be even more confused by the release of a new Australian study, which says that a woman's risk of developing breast cancer after taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might be lower than previously thought.

7 Aug 2005

Year wait for spinal surgery forces boy to fly to India for operation

A mother who has been told her son may have to wait a year for a spine operation to restore his mobility, is to fly him to India for the procedure.

7 Aug 2005

Doubt cast over study that says milk linked to ovarian cancer

Swedish researchers say that drinking just one glass of milk a day may increase the risk of women developing ovarian cancer.

7 Aug 2005

U.S. company wants to commercialise breast milk

It has long been acknowledged that breast milk, with its minerals, digestive enzymes and antibodies, keeps babies healthy and boosts their intelligence.

7 Aug 2005

Tests of bird flu vaccine on humans show good results

Experts have been concerned that the bird flu strain, currently prevalent in Asia, could engender a worldwide pandemic, but apparently human tests of an experimental vaccine show it is effective at stimulating the immune system to fight the virus.

7 Aug 2005

Low levels of folate linked to lower birth rates

Mothers-to-be with lower levels of the vitamin folate in their body during early pregnancy are more likely to have babies with lower, or less healthy, birth weights, a study has revealed.

4 Aug 2005

Progress to develop vaginal microbicides

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced an agreement with the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to share information and expertise in an effort to develop vaginal microbicides

4 Aug 2005

Resistance to antituberculosis drugs has been rising in Botswana since 1995

Resistance to antituberculosis drugs has been rising in Botswana since 1995, concludes a Research Letter in this weeks issue of The Lancet. Enhanced interventions for TB control are urgently needed in Botswana to prevent further emergence of drug resistance, state the authors.

4 Aug 2005

Switching treatment to the drug anastrozole after two years of tamoxifen is beneficial for women with early breast cancer

Switching treatment to the drug anastrozole after two years of tamoxifen can improve eventfree survival for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer, concludes a study in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

4 Aug 2005

Participation of doctors and medical bodies in the abuse of prisoners is a stain on medical ethics

The direct or indirect participation of doctors and medical bodies in the abuse of prisoners is a stain on medical ethics, states a Comment in this week's issue of The Lancet.

4 Aug 2005

More people die as a result of medical errors than from other common causes of death

As part of international efforts to improve patient safety, a new website has been created (www.saferhealthcare.org.uk), run by a partnership of the National Patient Safety Agency, the BMJ Publishing Group, and the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

4 Aug 2005

Multivitamins don't prevent infections in older people

Multivitamin and mineral supplements don't appear to prevent infections in older people living at home, finds a study in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

4 Aug 2005

Wet combing four times more effective than chemical treatments for head lice

Fine combing of wet hair is far more effective than current over the counter chemical treatments for eliminating head lice, shows research published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today.

4 Aug 2005

National Programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT) is at risk despite costing millions

The new National Programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT) is at risk despite costing millions, because staff locally have been left feeling disengaged in the process, says a study in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

4 Aug 2005

Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer

A woman's risk of developing breast cancer while taking hormone replacement therapy may be lower than we think, suggest researchers in this week’s British Medical journal (BMJ).

4 Aug 2005

BMA response to BMJ article "Challenges to implementing the national programme for information technology"

Commenting on research published in today's (5/8/05) BMJ, which finds that the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) has failed to properly engage NHS staff, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, said:

4 Aug 2005

Cognitive therapy can have a preventive effect for depression

Three years ago, Terry Tuton was laid off from his job as project manager at a large technology firm, leaving him limited insurance coverage at a time when he was suffering from overpowering feelings of hopelessness and depression - and not for the first time in his life.

4 Aug 2005

MDCT arthrography is an accurate method for assessing cartilage loss in patients with hip dysplasia

MDCT arthrography is an accurate method for assessing cartilage loss in patients with hip dysplasia and may be more reliable than MRI in such instances, says a new study by researchers from Osaka University Medical School in Japan.

4 Aug 2005

People with prehypertension are at much higher risk of heart attack

Normal blood pressure is lower than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Prehypertension is systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 and/or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 mm Hg. (Systolic pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats and diastolic pressure is the force when the heart is at rest.) Hypertension is blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg or higher.

4 Aug 2005